Sit actively: Norwalkers launch PilaSit

Norwalk resident Ben Peck and his wife Jelueh have designed the PilaSit, a fitness ball with a high quality and fashionable weighted fabric cover.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann

Norwalk resident Ben Peck and his wife Jelueh have designed the PilaSit, a fitness ball with a high quality and fashionable weighted fabric cover.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann

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Norwalk resident Ben Peck and his wife Jelueh have designed the PilaSit, a fitness ball with a high quality and fashionable weighted fabric cover.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann

Norwalk resident Ben Peck and his wife Jelueh have designed the PilaSit, a fitness ball with a high quality and fashionable weighted fabric cover.

Hour photo / Erik Trautmann

Sit actively: Norwalkers launch PilaSit

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NORWALK -- As far as Ben and Jelueh Peck of Norwalk are concerned, if you are going to sit at a desk for eight hours or more each day, you may as well get a bit of workout doing it.

The Pecks recently brought to market PilaSit, a patent-pending fitness ball that would be used instead of a chair. PilaSit, designed by Ben Peck, features a weighted fabric cover that keep the ball from rolling away. The weighted system also eliminates the need for a frame or stand, which is common with other similar products. The fabric cover comes in a variety of colors making PilaSit appropriate for work or home.

The Pecks said the main benefit of the weight system is that it strengthens people's core muscles while they sit by incorporating exercise into an otherwise passive activity.

Like many inventions, PilaSit was created out of necessity. Following back surgery in 2004, Ben Peck was advised by a physical therapist to use a yoga ball as a chair.

"The only thing that kept me from being in pain was being in really good shape," he said. "I exercised a lot and strengthened my core."

The problem was, Peck worked at IBM at the time and his big, bright yoga ball rolled away from his desk every time he stood up.

"I was driving to work one day thinking about what it would take to bring a ball to work without standing out," he said. "I wanted something that would look good and wouldn't roll away."

Other chair balls used a metal frame, Peck said, and in addition to looking awkward, were cost prohibitive at more than $100.

"I wanted something cheap that would work and look nice," he said.

So Peck went to work designing and creating PilaSit. His wife, Jelueh, used a ball in their nursery to sit on and bounce with their new baby.

When it came time to produce PilaSit, the Pecks looked to America first. Ben Peck builds the weights himself and the stitching on the fabric is done in Wisconsin. The yoga balls come from China because he could not find a producer in the U.S.

PilaSit, which comes in three sizes, is available at www.pilasit.com for $45. The cloth package, a tidy bag with no styrofoam or plastic fillers, includes the fabric cover, ball, and foot pump.

The Pecks ship anywhere and also make local deliveries. They are searching for a retailer to sell PilaSit and they also attend trade shows to show off their product. They are also looking into partnering with colleges and universities to sell PilaSit for dormitories.

"We can even make it in the university colors," Ben Peck said.

Ben Peck now works for an adverting agency in New York City. He works nights and weekends with the product. Jelueh Peck works for Diageo in Norwalk and is currently on maternity leave.

The design is patent-pending and they have a trademark for PilaSit's logo.

"The goal is to grow the business and find some retailers who might be interested in putting it on their shelves," Peck said. "It's been fun to design it and start our own business. Connecticut has been so easy to work with."

Jelueh Peck added: "Ben has always thought about doing something on his own. This matches up what he wants to do, but also has a professional side."